On her twelfth birthday, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon. For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived peacefully in the beautiful green country beyond the wild lands. They rely on human magicians and pegasi shamans as their own means of real communication. But not Sylvi and Ebon. Their friendship is like no other... they can understand each other. But as their bond grows more powerful, it becomes dangerous – could their friendship threaten

Robin McKinley has won many awards, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and The Crown, a Newbery Honor for the The Blue Sword and the Mythpoeic Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. She lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, author Peter Dickinson, two hellhounds nicknamed Chaos and Darkness, an 1897 Steinway upright named Rhodanthe, and increasing numbers of rose bushes wedged into three tiny gardens. The view out of her office window is her change-ringing bell tower and in the next village over is a paragon among horses whom Robin is so fortunate as to have permission to ride.